Update June, 2018: We’ve added a new cool technique as a bonus: how to create your own animated explainer video even if you are a beginner. Keep scrolling to learn more.

Video is king! There’s no second opinion about this fact. Undoubtedly, explainer videos are one of the most powerful marketing tools which every business should have in their arsenal. But there are way too many explainer video styles to choose from. Therefore, you can easily get lost in the search of the best one for your own business.

Basically, explainer videos can be either animations or live acts. However, there are plenty of hybrid styles and derivatives. All of them require different amounts of time to be created, different techniques and resources. Today, we will throw some light on which explainer video styles are the most engaging, what are they characterized with and who are they suitable for. No matter if you are a B2B or B2C company, or simply need some clarification on the topic, we hope you find this piece of information useful. We’ve listed the 10 most engaging explainer video styles, so let’s get started!

1. Graphic Animation Explainer Video

What is it?

Graphic animation is a highly engaging technique bringing motion (and emotion!) to graphics. As a form of stop motion technique (for reference, scroll down a little bit), this kind of video uses graphic elements instead of photos to explain an idea through movement.

Who is it suitable for?

Graphic animation explainer video style is perfect for businesses whose products or services are more complicated than usual. Since it’s super appealing, a lot of startups use this style of video to explain a complex idea and compel their target audience. Being very easy on the eye, this kind of video can also be combined with a cartoon character which enhances its impactful effecteven more. When these two engagement masters (cartoon characters and motion) conjoin powers, the result is a real golden mine: a video with a strong impact on your audience. Needless to say, we love this technique.

2. 2D Animation Explainer Video

What is it?

Among one of the most popular explainer video styles is the standard 2D animation which you must be pretty familiar with. The possibilities here are endless. You can go with animation in a flat design, outline cartoon style, etc. If you’d like to learn more about the diversity of illustration styles, be our guest. The reason this explainer video style is so broadly used is: it is super appealing, quite fun and can effortlessly engage the viewer. Social media platforms are full of this type of videos and we are not surprised. This is one of the mosthighly shareable types of content.

Who is it suitable for?

This explainer video style is one of the budget options to make such a video. This makes it very suitable for startups. Also, it can ideally work for both B2C or B2B businness, since it can appeal to almost any type of target persona.

3. 3D Animation Explainer Video

What is it?

An animation technique of the highest quality, more often used for commercials rather than explanatory purposes due to its high production costs. Nevertheless, 3D animation is one of the explainer video styles that will not only grasp the attention of your target persona but will also truly impress them.

Who is it suitable for?

If budget is out of the question, then this option is great for you. Being rarer and holding unlimited possibilities at the same time, this explainer video style will instantly capture the attention of your audience, no matter if you are a B2B or a B2C business.

4. Whiteboard Explainer Video Style

What is it?

A widely known technique, presenting a simple black and white presentational or educational video, originally being recorded by an artist drawing illustrations and writing keywords on a whiteboard. This process has later become entirely digital but still keeping the essence of simplicity. Some advancement may include adding a cartoon character as a story protagonist or some special effects.

Who is it suitable for?

As one of the most broadly used explainer video styles whiteboard presentations are perfect for businesses who want to better focus on explaining their service or a certain process without much distraction. This type of explainer videos is great for B2B businesses, marketing agencies, IT companies, etc. The reason is they can present complex information in an easy manner while still keeping the viewer captivated by the movement and the story being drawn “live”. Also, it is perfect for educational purposes!

5. Live Action + Animation

What is it?

An attention-grabbing technique which puts together real human act and animation. Usually, this explainer video style is firstly recorded with a camera and the animated elements are added at a later stage. The “actors” or the real people may interact with the animation which makes the final effect even more interesting.

Who is it suitable for?

This strong combo between live action and animated graphic elements, such as typography and illustrations, is a powerful way to build a personal relationship with your target audience. This type of explainer video humanizes the brand and is perfect for B2C companies who seek a deeper relationship with their end users in order to build loyalty. On the downside, the process of creating may be time-consuming but hey, the end result is worth it!

6. Typography Explainer Video Style

What is it?

This explainer video style is based on one or more typography fonts animated in an engaging way for the viewer. It may be combined with other styles but plain typography videos, easy to figure out, focus the viewer’s attention on the text itself. All distractions are left behind.

Who is it suitable for?

Typography videos are very suitable for companies who want to put a highlight on data, figures, etc. B2B will certainly take advantage of this explainer video style, especially when they are looking for a way to juice up their boring charts and financial data and form a lasting impression in their potential partners.

7. Infographic Video

What is it?

Basically, an infographic video is a form of typography video, boosted with images and characters to present statistical data in an attractive way.

Who is it suitable for?

This engaging technique, mostly used to present complex information such as facts and figures in a fun, easy-going way, is very suitable for educational and informative purposes. Unlike typography videos which are all about plain animated text, infographic videos are boosted with illustrations, thus becoming more fun to watch. This type of explainer videos is perfect for B2C companies who want to educate and entertain their end users at the same time.

8. Stop Motion Explainer Video

What is it?

Stop motion technique is a style of explainer video in which series of pictures of objects or illustrations are taken, by making small adjustments every time. Then they are put in a sequence and played to convey movement. This technique can be created with either real-life objects or illustrations.

Who is it suitable for?

Being highly engaging and very fun to watch, this explainer video style is very suitable for B2C companies. Due to itsstrong ability to take the viewer through a story, the stop motion technique is perfect for startups who want to introduce themselves and leave a lasting impression.

9. Cut Out Animation

What is it?

Being a form of stop motion video, cut out animation technique requires a camera to shoot series of paper cut hand-drawn or digitally drawn images. Later when put in sequence, they create the effect of animation.

Who is it suitable for?

Being very engaging, cut out technique is perfect for storytelling. It also combines all the benefits of cartoon video styles and stop motion videos, thus it is ideal for B2C companies. It can absolutely hold the attention of the end users while creating a strong brand-customer bond in the same time.

10. Screen Capture Explainer Video Style

What is it?

A very popular, easy to make and low budget option for an explainer video style, yet very effective – screen capture. Basically, this technique is characterized with recording a video of the device screen, computer or mobile, usually to demonstrate how a certain software, product, or process works.

Who is it suitable for?

Perfect for low-budget startups who want to explain their services or products in action. Also, this type of video is very suitable for educational purposes and tutorials, as you can achieve a thorough explanation of a certain process while combining it with an audio narration.

Well, basically these are the most popular explainer video styles used on the web today. Hopefully, we’ve managed to throw some light on the issue what the best explainer video style for your own business is. Moreover, these styles can be combined to produce eye-catchy hybrid styles, e.g. a video with both 2D and 3D graphic elements, a whiteboard video with an animated cartoon character, etc. So, feel free to improvise!

Bonus: How to create your own Explainer video if you are a beginner?

Easy! With Adobe Character Animator Puppets.

What is it?

An innovative technique of creating animated explainer videos that even beginners can handle. Basically, you animate your own cartoon character by using your microphone and camera. The cartoon character called a puppet, copies your facial expressions and moves when you use your mouse and keyboard. You move. They move. Provided by Adobe Character Animator, an extension of Adobe After Effects, this technique is certainly one of the biggest advancements in video animation in the last few years.

Who is it suitable for?

Pretty much, everyone. This style is perfect for both beginners and professionals, B2B & B2C companies, freelancers, etc. With the innovative technique provided by Adobe, you can easily create your own animated explainer video even if you have no experience and skills in animating. You can create your video in 3D or 2D for all kinds of purposes. The possibilities are limitless, so it’s completely up to you.

Create your explainer video with Adobe Character Animator puppets:

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Iveta Pavlova

Iveta is a passionate writer at GraphicMama who has been writing for the brand ever since the blog was launched. She keeps her focus on inspiring people and giving insight on topics like graphic design, illustrations, education, business, marketing, and more.